Born and raised in Minneapolis, Prince signed a record deal with Warner Bros. Records at the age of 19, soon releasing the albums For You (1978) and Prince (1979). He went on to achieve critical success with the influential albums Dirty Mind (1980), Controversy (1981), and 1999 (1982). His sixth album, Purple Rain (1984), was recorded with his new backing band the Revolution, and was also the soundtrack to the film of the same name in which he starred. Purple Rain garnered continued success for Prince and was a major commercial achievement, spending six consecutive months atop the Billboard 200 chart. The soundtrack also won Prince the Academy Award for Best Original Song Score. After disbanding the Revolution, Prince released the album Sign o' the Times (1987), widely hailed by critics as the greatest work of his career. In the midst of a contractual dispute with Warner Bros. in 1993, he changed his stage name to the unpronounceable symbol logo. Hollow circle above downward arrow crossed with a curlicued horn-shaped symbol and then a short bar (known to fans as the "Love Symbol") and was often referred to as The Artist Formerly Known as Prince (or TAFKAP) or simply The Artist.
After signing with Arista Records in 1998, Prince reverted to his original name in 2000. Over the next decade, six of his albums entered the U.S. top 10 charts. In April 2016, at the age of 57, Prince died after accidentally overdosing on fentanyl at his Paisley Park home and recording studio in Chanhassen, Minnesota. He was a prolific musician who released 39 albums during his life, with a vast array of unreleased material left in a custom-built bank vault underneath his home after his death, including fully completed albums and over 50 finished music videos. He also released songs under multiple pseudonyms during his life, as well as writing songs that were made popular after being covered by other musicians, most notably "Nothing Compares 2 U" by Sinéad O'Connor and "Manic Monday" by the Bangles. Estimates of the complete number of songs written by Prince range anywhere from 500 to well over 1,000. Released posthumously, his demo albums Piano and a Microphone 1983 (2018) and Originals (2019) both received critical acclaim.
Prince sold over 100 million records worldwide, ranking him among the best-selling music artists of all time. His awards included the Grammy President's Merit Award, the American Music Awards for Achievement and of Merit, the Billboard Icon Award, an Academy Award, and a Golden Globe Award. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004, the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2006, and the Rhythm and Blues Music Hall of Fame in 2016, and was inducted twice into the Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame in 2022.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_(musician)
Studio albums
For You (1978)
Prince (1979)
Dirty Mind (1980)
Controversy (1981)
1999 (1982)
Purple Rain (1984)
Around the World in a Day (1985)
Parade (1986)
Sign o' the Times (1987)
Lovesexy (1988)
Batman (1989)
Graffiti Bridge (1990)
Diamonds and Pearls (1991)
Love Symbol (1992)
Come (1994)
The Black Album (1994)
The Gold Experience (1995)
Chaos and Disorder (1996)
Emancipation (1996)
Crystal Ball (1998)
The Truth (1998)
The Vault: Old Friends 4 Sale (1999)
Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic (1999)
The Rainbow Children (2001)
One Nite Alone... (2002)
Xpectation (2003)
N·E·W·S (2003)
The Chocolate Invasion (2004)
The Slaughterhouse (2004)
Musicology (2004)
3121 (2006)
Planet Earth (2007)
Lotusflow3r (2009)
MPLSound (2009)
20Ten (2010)
Plectrumelectrum (2014)
Art Official Age (2014)
HITnRUN Phase One (2015)
HITnRUN Phase Two (2015)
Posthumous releases:
Piano and a Microphone 1983 (2018)
Originals (2019)
Welcome 2 America (2021)
Prince also released two albums credited to Madhouse, three albums credited to the New Power Generation, and one credited to the N.P.G. Orchestra:
Madhouse:
8 (1987)
16 (1987)
The New Power Generation:
Goldnigga (1993)
Exodus (1995)
Newpower Soul (1998)
The N.P.G. Orchestra:
Kamasutra (1997)
For Serbian singer Princ, please use Princ.
When The Lights Go Down
Prince Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Another tired line
Baby, you sure look good,
Hey baby, what's your sign?
How many ask for your number
Before they even know your name?
How many out there tired of playing
Hey, and when the lights go down
And it's justa you to
It's when you and your lover, yeah
Do what [...wanna] do
That's when you feel the heat
Hotter than July
That's when you and your baby, baby, baby
When your baby get a ride
Yeah, when your baby get a ride
How can you tell him no
When he loves you so?
Buy you anything
Anything you want
His eyes all aglow
He'll know you're good to go
Duh-dun
Duh-dun
Duh-dun
In front of a restaurant, yeah
Girl, you'd better know
Really, until you do it couple o' times in a row
It's just the same
It's just a game
Go back to do whatever, sleep outside your door
When the lights go down, yeah
And it's just you to
That's when you hear the sounds
Of what true lovers do, yeah
And when you feel the heat, yo
Hotter than July
That's when you and your baby
When your baby get a ride
Yeah, hey, and when your baby get a ride now
Then when your baby get a ride
That's when your baby get a ride
That's when your baby play with you tonight
Prince's song "When the Lights Go Down" is an exploration of the game of love that people engage in on Friday nights. The first line of the song sets the stage for the rest of the lyrics, suggesting that it is yet another night and yet another tired pickup line. The singer turns his attention to a woman who looks good and asks for her sign, a classic icebreaker in the world of dating.
The song then questions the actual intentions of those engaging in the game of love, noting how many ask for a woman's number before even knowing her name. It suggests that many are tired of this game, and that true love can only be found when the lights go down and it's just two people. When the lights go down, the heat increases, hotter than July, and true lovers engage in activities that are not mentioned by name. The song suggests that these activities are better left unsaid, and that they are the realm of true lovers.
The song is an exploration of the game of love that many people play on Friday nights. The lyrics reveal how many people ask for numbers without even knowing someone's name, and Prince suggests that true love can only be found in more intimate settings. The song does not judge those engaged in this game but instead hints that true love is waiting in the wings.
Line by Line Meaning
Another Friday night
Just another day of the week, another Friday night out on the town
Another tired line
The same old lines that don't seem to work anymore
Baby, you sure look good
A compliment to the person they are speaking to
Hey baby, what's your sign?
A common pick-up line asking for their astrological sign
How many ask for your number
How many people ask for your phone number
Before they even know your name?
Before they even know your name, they ask for your number
How many out there tired of playing, this silly o-old time game?
How many people are tired of the same old games and pick-up lines
Hey, and when the lights go down
When everything gets dark and quieter
And it's justa you to
When there's no one else around except you and your lover
It's when you and your lover, yeah, do what [...wanna] do
The moment that you finally get to be alone together and do what comes naturally
That's when you feel the heat, hotter than July
The passion and intensity of the moment is hot and fiery
That's when you and your baby, baby, baby, when your baby get a ride
When both partners are equally excited and engaged in the moment
How can you tell him no
How can you reject someone when they love you so much
When he loves you so?
When he is so deeply in love with you
Buy you anything, anything you want
He is willing to go to any lengths to make you happy
His eyes all aglow
He is super excited and happy about the situation
He'll know you're good to go
He'll know that you're ready and willing to take things further
Duh-dun, Duh-dun, Duh-dun
The beat of the song, which suggests the excitement of the moment
In front of a restaurant, yeah
The location doesn't matter as long as you're together and in the moment
Girl, you'd better know
You need to understand what's going on and be fully present in the moment
Really, until you do it a couple o' times in a row
It takes practice and experience to get really good at this
It's just the same, it's just a game
It all comes back to the basics, no matter how much experience you have
Go back to do whatever, sleep outside your door
Afterwards, you can go back to your normal life and routines
That's when you hear the sounds of what true lovers do, yeah
The sounds of the moment are intense and passionate, indicating a true connection
And when you feel the heat, yo, hotter than July
You can feel the passion and heat of the moment building so strongly that it's almost tangible
That's when you and your baby, when your baby get a ride
That's when you and your partner are completely in sync and enjoying each other
Yeah, hey, and when your baby get a ride now
The highest point of the night is finally here
Then when your baby get a ride
Finally, the moment has come, and it's time to fully enjoy it
That's when your baby get a ride
That's when everything comes together perfectly, and it feels amazing
That's when your baby play with you tonight
The excitement and intensity of the moment is beyond description, and it's truly amazing
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: PRINCE ROGERS NELSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind